Watch where your swinging that thing!

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This past weekend we had an interesting situation.  We got a call from a homeowner about a very bad leak coming from the upstairs bathroom that caused the ceiling to cave in onto the kitchen.  This was a manageable situation, which we promptly remedied.  About 3 hours after my arrival back home, the phone rang again.   The number looked very familiar, and when I answered it, I realized why.  The number was fresh in my head because I had seen it just 4 hours ago.  It was the same customer, with ANOTHER problem.  This time, they were attempting to remove the wet drywall on the kitchen ceiling in preparation to be repaired.  The tool of choice was a high speed Dewalt sawzall, and you guessed, it found a water line.  This is not uncommon to do, you just need to be VERY careful.  When water lines and a sawzall have a brief encounter, the water lines are always the loser.  When a slight lack of concentration causes you to need a second service call on a Saturday, YOU, are almost always the loser (to your wife, not to us). 

If you are attempting to cut a section of drywall out to be removed, you must always be aware of what may be in the wall, whether it be plumbing or electrical.  If the hole does not need to be too big, I like to use a keyhole saw or a jab saw.  This will obviously not be as fast, but you will be able to “feel” anything you may encounter inside the wall cavity.  If you have a larger cut to be made, or you are just impatient, try and notice where things may be in the wall.  If you are around a kitchen sink or a bathroom sink, there may be a drain and vent pipe running up and down one of the stud bays very close to where the drain comes out of the wall.  There will also be a drain “arm” running horizontal at the level of the drain.  Usually you can look into the drain and see which way the “dirty arm” is going and plan accordingly.  Water lines USUALLY, BUT NOT ALWAYS go straight down from where they are.  If it is in a basement, they most likely will go straight up. 

No matter where you are cutting, if you are using a sawzall, it is always a good practice to keep the blade as shallow as possible.  This will also ensure that if you are using a blade long enough, you don’t pop through the other side of the wall!! 

Want a bathroom in the basement?

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This week we are working on putting basement bathrooms in both sides of a vacant duplex.  Even with all of the up front cost, this certainly appears to be a no-brainer for a landlord.  This particular landlord is expecting to increase the rent in both sides at least $225.  This project also included cutting in a daylight window and adding another bedroom as well.  This job will pay for itself in very short order.  Keep in mind that every dollar spent, is tax deductible.  

As far as the plumbing is concerned, adding a bathroom in a basement can be anywhere from a simple project, to a VERY extensive project.  The major factor in determining the degree of difficulty, and the cost, has two very important components.  These are whether or not the drains were placed in the floor for a future bathroom at the time the house was built, and, whether or not your sewer goes UNDER the foundation or THROUGH the foundation.  If you have drains roughed in under the cement for a future bathroom, you are in good shape.  If you do NOT have drains roughed in under the cement for a future bathroom, but you do have pipes under the floor, it will be a little more extensive.  You will know this if you have any drains going from the main floor down into the cement.  If this is the case, concrete will need to be broken up to find a drain under the floor, tied into, and new drains placed in the proper location.  Now, the worst case scenario would be if you have NO drains under the cement AND your sewer exits the house THROUGH the foundation.  There are a few reasons why this is a much more extensive process.  First, since we all know that (pardon my language) sh!% rolls downhill, the system is not going to work very well if your toilet, sink and shower are LOWER than the drain going out of your house.  To remedy this, a big pit with a powerful pump must be installed and your bathroom must drain into the pit.  Once the water level gets high enough, the pump kicks on and discharges it UP to your sewer going through your foundation.  The second problem with this installation is that a vent must be ran up into your attic, and either tied into another vent going through the roof, or it must go through the roof separately.  This can be VERY tricky, especially in a two story house. On most newer homes, even if the sewer goes through the wall, there may already be a pit and drain lines roughed in. 

While it is true that a bathroom in the basement will increase a homes value, it is the convenience that will be most appreciated! If you would like a quote or even some advice, we would be happy to answer any questions you may have.  Between the two of us throughout our careers, we have installed hundreds of basement bathrooms with many satisfied customers!

Below are pictures from our duplex project that did not have any drain lines roughed in for a bathroom, but it did have a main drain under the cement that we were able to tie into. 

Freezing pipes…..revisited

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Over the last 72 hours or so, we have received about 5 calls for frozen pipes.  This made me realize something. In a previous posting, we had talked about what to do in case you find yourself with frozen pipes.  Unfortunately, we never mentioned how to prevent frozen pipes.  The advice is fairly obvious, it is just forgotten about.  Keep windows closed, keep the furnace or any other heat source on, and try and stop any drafts that may be close to your pipes.  If you have not ventured into your basement in quite some time, you may want to go reacquaint yourself with it.  Check around the perimeter for any windows that are open or cracked even a little, and shut them.  Check for any direct openings to the outside and put something in front of it.  Do not turn your furnace down too low if you are leaving.  Remember, if you set your heat at 50 degrees, that is the temperature at the thermostat itself, it may be MUCH colder down in the basement or crawlspace.  Today we worked at an auto body shop that had a few separate buildings.  They had one building dedicated to their painting with a few vacant offices in it.  The problem occurred when they closed the doors to the vacant offices, which contained the water meter, and did not heat that part of the building.  This resulted in a frozen water meter, frozen faucet, but luckily, no split pipes.  This time of year, when the temperature starts flirting with zero degrees, extra attention should be placed on vulnerable water lines throughout your home or business. 
Picture

Frozen pipe rupture

College isn’t right for everybody? Blasphemy!

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I recently watched a news program discussing the pros and cons of “the ‘ole college try”.  This is a very interesting subject to me.  First, I will start by saying, of course I think college is great idea for many people.  I am not going  to devalue the cost of college for everybody, that would simply be stupid.  I will, however, state that I do not feel college is a wise choice for all people. 

Before I carefully navigate my way through the financial discussion, I will  start with the basics of my stance.  The first, and most important factor in your career decision should always be the likelihood of long term happiness.  I know, it is cliche, but it is very true.  I know far too many people who seem to just barely hang on until the end of the week!  Anybody that looks at a Facebook news feed on a Wednesday or Thursday can attest to this phenomena.  People are not meant to sit for 8 hours a day, staring at something (computer screen).  This is why blue collar work can be very satisfying.  There is something uniquely rewarding about being able to see the work you have done at the end of the day. 

There is also little dispute that all people learn in different ways.  Not everybody is the classroom type.  I know quite a few people that would not enjoy playing a game of trivia with me, but would take great delight in fixing a busted hydraulic line on a skid-steer, replacing the blower motor of their furnace, and adding a tankless water heater for in floor heat in their basement.  These are not things you learn in school.  You learn them on the farm, on the job and in the real world.

The financial side of this is a little more murky, with a lot of variables, and I will not go too deep here.  Everybody knows the ever increasing cost of tuition, that is a no-brainer.  Tuition is rapidly outpacing the rate of inflation.  It can be a very heavy burden to enter the work force with no guarantee of a good job and a pile of debt.  http://www.smartonmoney.com/controversial-statement-of-the-day-not-everyone-should-go-to-college/  The earning potential gap disappears when you compare college grads to holders of certificates or licenses such as  welders, metal fabrication, die makers, electricians, HVAC and mechanics.

Again, I am not saying college is a bad idea.  I am just saying NOT going to college is not necessarily a bad idea either.  There are many viable options out there in vocational and trade schools, as well as apprenticeships.  The percentage of skilled tradesmen is decreasing every year, and this may pose a very serious problem in years to come.  Having a trade is also a very powerful hedge in an economic downturn.  Yes, I write this after having been laid off a while back, but I was also able to start my own company with the skills I had acquired over the years.

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